


Laced

by LysanderandHermia



Series: Pet!Verse [3]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Bad BDSM Etiquette, Bad Relationship, Conditioning, D/s lifestyle, Dehumanization, Dom/sub, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Feels, Humiliation, M/M, People as Pets, Stockholm Syndrome, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, bad, bad everything, sorta - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-10
Updated: 2016-02-10
Packaged: 2018-05-19 12:43:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5967804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LysanderandHermia/pseuds/LysanderandHermia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was hard to tell when he finally stopped shaking. It was somewhere between the long bath, and the armchair, but at some point, blessedly, finally, Sebastian felt his torso stop trembling, his fingers stop stuttering like his words had when he was little. Start, stop, falter, worsen, slow, repeat. </p>
<p>Jim makes a choice to apologize in the only way he can think of. Sebastian makes the choice he'll always make.</p>
<p>//Is heavily reliant on the previous fic in the series, "Armchair" for its source material.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Laced

**Author's Note:**

  * For [poetofthefall](https://archiveofourown.org/users/poetofthefall/gifts).



It was hard to tell when he finally stopped shaking. It was somewhere between the long bath, and the armchair, but at some point, blessedly, finally, Sebastian felt his torso stop trembling, his fingers stop stuttering like his words had when he was little. Start, stop, falter, worsen, slow, repeat. 

Eyes shut, Sebastian tried to remember what had happened, but all he really was aware of was that Dmitri was strangely absent, that he'd been given a long, hot, bubbly bath with Jim washing him - an odd reversal that still felt funny to him - and then a big portion of chicken and veg, his favorite, a strong drink, and now he was bundled up in the armchair that had sent him down into the hated basement to begin with. 

The vinyl twitched on from across the room and Sebastian's gaze rose to stare at the needle as music arose softly, something slow and soothing and... "Bach?" He questioned, gaze rising to hit Jim's chin, but not quite meeting his eyes.

Jim smiled, and Sebastian swallowed, "That's right, Tiger. Bach." Jim settled next to him on the over sized armchair, oddly stiff, and Sebastian glanced his way slightly, starting to slip off the chair, but a hand stopped him.

"Sebastian..." Jim's voice trailed off, and Sebastian settled back hesitantly, unsure. Jim was having trouble talking, but at least he was calm. He liked Jim's calm tone. "We're treating tonight like your birthday. You can have anything you want. No tricks, nothing. Literally anything. Ask it, you can have it."

Blinking, Sebastian cautiously let his eyes flick to meet Jim's, but froze there, confused. Jim was clever, and harsh, and knew how to play people, but... Sebastian was fairly sure there was sincerity in the man's face. It scared him.

The man considered, sitting quietly in thought while Jim got up again with a soft pat on the head and refilled their drinks. He watched the curve of Jim's back, the tilt of his head. Small, soft things that one wouldn't notice without living for years with another person. 

He'd been independent before. Equal to Jim, in most ways. Able to be on his own and not have to cower to him. Hate rose up, but burnt out its fuel quickly. He didn't hate Jim, not really. He hated being in the basement, he hated he'd been put there. He'd used to shoot, to _work_ , to do something other than sit and clean and sometimes, when he was allowed, do paperwork for Jim.

Before he'd fucked when he wanted, eaten what he wanted. There had been so many things available to him. Why wouldn't he want that back? He opened his mouth, then closed it again a second later as Jim turned to stare at him.

He couldn't place the look, but it filled his stomach with lead. Maybe it was a ruse, to guilt him. Maybe it was honest. Maybe he was reading something that wasn't there, but Jim looked for all the world like he was _sad_. It was like seeing a human face on a lizard, completely unbelievable and extremely terrifying. 

What did he know? Jim was brilliant. He was probably four steps ahead of him in his thought process. He knew Sebastian was realizing he could ask for his freedom back. This was what the offer was - Jim's way of making up what happened. Sebastian wasn't stupid, he remembered how they'd been before, when he hadn't been afraid to snark back, when Jim slapped and Sebastian punched back. He was telling Sebastian he could leave.

Jim moved back across the room, something shifting in his gaze, and the movement was so sudden to Sebastian's whirling brain that he jumped badly, shrinking back and earning a soft sigh from Jim's lips. "Sorry, Sir," he blurted, feeling stupid, but Jim only handed him the whiskey again, glass iced and fresh drink in it. He swirled the ice, still lost in thought. 

After nearly an hour of trying to puzzle it out, Jim moved again to sit from where he'd been standing and staring out of the window just to Sebastian's side, and Sebastian startled again, making Jim clink the glass down in frustration on the table. Sebastian slid to the floor in apology, setting his glass down next to Jim's quickly, his head bowed, but it didn't seem to help, as Jim began pacing in front of him, sharp steps that spun on his heed every three paces. 

The hand on his head was expected. The gentleness of it was not. Sebastian still, didn't dare look up until Jim's head guided it, and when he gazed up, it was to a puzzled look on Jim's face. "You don't have to decide tonight," he finally said, voice rough from whiskey and disuse, which Sebastian would normally have found rather lovely.

Instead, Sebastian dropped his gaze, feeling like a disappointment, and nodded. Following a soft snap of Jim's fingers, he crawled with him to the bedroom, surprised when he was ordered into the bed. 

 

He hadn't slept that well in... probably a few years. Sebastian stretched, letting out a yawn before sitting bolt upright. The bed was empty save for him, the sun was shining through the window, and yes, he'd definitely overslept. 

Sebastian practically skidded around the corner, eyes wild and searching. He found Jim slouched in the armchair, fingers running idly through Dmitri's hair while he sipped from a drink in his other hand, eyes vacant. They focused as Dmitri turned his head slightly, and Jim tipped his head slightly as he stared at Sebastian, standing upright, disheveled, and not quite yet awake. 

With a soft word to Dmitri, Jim sent the man off to the kitchen, who squeezed Sebastian's arm in passing. Terrified now, Sebastian sank to his knees and crawled over to Jim, sitting rigidly still in front of him while he waited for the sharp blow or sharper words to come. A minute ticked by and nothing happened, and Sebastian swallowed, still too afraid to move. At this point he normally would have spoken up, or moved, but not with the basement so vivid in his mind. Jim's offer came back to him, and he blinked, staring at the man's knees. 

He could leave. 

A hand slid through his hair, gently, and Sebastian let out what sounded very close to a purr, and shut his eyes, letting the question go for the time being, and let his head be guided to Jim's knee to be pet in much the same way that Dmitri's had.

Jim was the one to speak. "Have you decided yet?" He asked, voice hollow in tone, making it hard for Sebastian to read - it was hard to begin with, really. 

A flash of mild pain as Jim's fingers caught in a snarl in his hair reminded him of all the other throbs in his body, the bruised ribs, his recently set nose, how swollen his face must still look - all caused by Jim, the man sitting in front of him. 

Sebastian lifted his head to stare at Jim, then turned around and pressed his back to the armchair, tipping his head back against Jim's knee. There was stiff silence behind him, and then Jim's hands slid over his shoulders and Sebastian relaxed, huffing out a soft breath.

They both sat like that for a long few moments, Jim's fingers brushing up and down Sebastian's shoulders and neck, until they twined together around his neck, thumbs pressing softly against the tender area where Sebastian's arteries were. Jim pressed down slightly and held for a short count, and Sebastian counted in his head with him, feeling the world go a bit dizzy. Jim released his pressure points, stroking along Sebastian's neck gently before repeating the motion once more. 

Sebastian never moved to try and stop him, simply breathing and waiting until he felt Jim's hands angle his neck back, lips pressing a kiss to his forehead. They both understood the sentiment behind their actions.

"You don't have to stay, Tiger. I broke the one promise I made you. I can undo everything."

Sebastian wound his hand into one of Jim's, and craned his neck to look at Jim, shaking his head. "I'll get better. I'll be your best work. Like the Goldberg Variations." He gestured at the vinyl that had been playing the night before, and Jim smiled slightly.

"I'm so proud of you already, my Tiger. Every variation of you, especially the one you're turning into next."

Sebastian closed his eyes and when the music started again - probably Dmitri - he didn't question it, nor when Jim pulled him up to curl into his arms on the chair. They listened to the whole song again, and Sebastian's hand stayed firmly laced with Jim's the entire time.

**Author's Note:**

> The Goldberg Variations is arguably one of Bach's greatest works, it's mine and Seb's opinions that it's the greatest ever.
> 
> This is such a bad relationship. I had a request for angst, and I don't know if I managed it or not, but it was also requested for Seb's feels and Jim's variation on being forgiven. 
> 
> Unfortunately, Sebastian is very severely conditioned and I honestly can't see him leaving, even after that. Simply more meek than ever before and completely broken down. As far as a series goes, I'm so thrilled everyone likes it, but I don't know where I'd want to take it from here. It may reappear, it may not. I'm trying to write again some more, so things might resurface in this verse.


End file.
